What were the top visual clichés for 2012?

Ah!....So sad for the tree...[i]and I really mean that[/i].........Hats of to the first photographer to see its potential..............and to the few who created something different from the same scene........but the others who followed, the first, sheep-like desrve no praise....Similarly, those Lakeside landing stages that seem to vanish into Run-Off from a local Dairy.
But, then....looking back at my (relatively short) development as a photographer, I too have been guilty of many cliche'd creations (its the way we learn)..........
Soooo, my Photographic New Year's Resolution is to ......Up my knowledge of light use and to MAKE photographs that are radically different or are technically challenging........I began just prior to the new Year by mastering the very real challenge of Birds in Flight.
Catching them in flight is reasonably simple with the right settings....but placing a BIF correctly in the frame, against a photographically pleasing Background isn't.......so most attempts get deleted:
Hobbo

Ah!....So sad for the tree...and I really mean that.........Hats of to the first photographer to see its potential..............and to the few who created something different from the same scene........but the others who followed, the first, sheep-like desrve no praise....Similarly, those Lakeside landing stages that seem to vanish into Run-Off from a local Dairy.

But, then....looking back at my (relatively short) development as a photographer, I too have been guilty of many cliche'd creations (its the way we learn)..........

Soooo, my Photographic New Year's Resolution is to ......Up my knowledge of light use and to MAKE photographs that are radically different or are technically challenging........I began just prior to the new Year by mastering the very real challenge of Birds in Flight.

Catching them in flight is reasonably simple with the right settings....but placing a BIF correctly in the frame, against a photographically pleasing Background isn't.......so most attempts get deleted:

[quote]Less captive birds and animals masquerading as 'wildlife/nature'. Might as well take photos of sheep and chickens!
I like taking photos of sheep:P: :lol:[/quote]
Yes, but you don't have to post them to the gallery. Well, perhaps just the pretty ones. :P
Anyway, [link=http://www.ephotozine.com/photo/white-rooster-31243930]I rest my case[/link]...

Quote:Less captive birds and animals masquerading as 'wildlife/nature'. Might as well take photos of sheep and chickens!

I like taking photos of sheep: :lol:

Yes, but you don't have to post them to the gallery. Well, perhaps just the pretty ones.

[quote]I agree with rev2, what is the point of taking a photo of a tame bird of prey?
Much the same as taking a photograph of a nude model in a studio with a paper background, I guess.
;)[/quote]
As opposed to wild in their natural habitat?

Quote:I agree with rev2, what is the point of taking a photo of a tame bird of prey?

Much the same as taking a photograph of a nude model in a studio with a paper background, I guess.

Fed up of poor NDR images (normal dynamic range) - you know, those taken with a single shot, then processed really badly. Often with plugins which pull out detail where there is none, creating dirty, noisy, horrific abberations of an image.
Yeah, single shots all are dreadful - and completely over done.

Fed up of poor NDR images (normal dynamic range) - you know, those taken with a single shot, then processed really badly. Often with plugins which pull out detail where there is none, creating dirty, noisy, horrific abberations of an image.

[quote]I agree with rev2, what is the point of taking a photo of a tame bird of prey?
Much the same as taking a photograph of a nude model in a studio with a paper background, I guess.
;)
As opposed to wild in their natural habitat?[/quote]
Precisely.
Or, indeed, any "staged" subject.

Quote:I agree with rev2, what is the point of taking a photo of a tame bird of prey?

Much the same as taking a photograph of a nude model in a studio with a paper background, I guess.

To sum up so far the visual clichés for 2012 were:
Seascapes with blurry, smooth water
Landscape with a lone tree (a particular one seems to have bothered several epz'ers)
Captive animals
Birds on a branch
HDR badly done
Bad imitations of HDR that go dirty and murky
Piers/jettys going off into smoothed lakes
Someone mentioned balls of steel wool on fire swung around
Over manipulated and over filtered images (I still see shots on some sites using that awful water reflection filter)
Have I missed anything?

To sum up so far the visual clichés for 2012 were:
Seascapes with blurry, smooth water
Landscape with a lone tree (a particular one seems to have bothered several epz'ers)
Captive animals
Birds on a branch
HDR badly done
Bad imitations of HDR that go dirty and murky
Piers/jettys going off into smoothed lakes
Someone mentioned balls of steel wool on fire swung around
Over manipulated and over filtered images (I still see shots on some sites using that awful water reflection filter)

[quote]This year I intend to photograph two of those cliches - pier into lake and balls of steel wool.[/quote]
Pete, you've inspired me. I'm now trying to work out how I can combine as many of those clichés into a single image as possible ;)

Quote:This year I intend to photograph two of those cliches - pier into lake and balls of steel wool.

Pete, you've inspired me. I'm now trying to work out how I can combine as many of those clichés into a single image as possible

[quote]pier into lake and balls of steel wool.[/quote]
Do be carefull peering into a lake whilst....well... I dont know how to interpret balls of steel wool....Both together could be a disaster!!:P:P;);)

Quote:pier into lake and balls of steel wool.

Do be carefull peering into a lake whilst....well... I dont know how to interpret balls of steel wool....Both together could be a disaster!!

To be serious for a moment. There are always trends and fashions, and although someone else may have done them you can try it out too and learn something new. One of the biggest creative challenges is probably to tackle a subject or technique that has been done to death and give it something new and fresh.
I always think that the first rule of photography is that there are no rules.
Thanks to everyone on here for your entertaining contributions - always a good vibe. Happy New Year!

To be serious for a moment. There are always trends and fashions, and although someone else may have done them you can try it out too and learn something new. One of the biggest creative challenges is probably to tackle a subject or technique that has been done to death and give it something new and fresh.

I always think that the first rule of photography is that there are no rules.

Thanks to everyone on here for your entertaining contributions - always a good vibe. Happy New Year!

[quote]I'm doing the steel wool thing soon - part of my night workshop series - people like that kinda thing ;-)
They shoot, I take the risks with the sparks lol[/quote]
It sounds even worse...balls in steel wool and then sparks...people shooting them....and liking it....How Peculiar:P:P

Quote:I'm doing the steel wool thing soon - part of my night workshop series - people like that kinda thing

They shoot, I take the risks with the sparks lol

It sounds even worse...balls in steel wool and then sparks...people shooting them....and liking it....How Peculiar